Two weeks ago, a great deal of people put on extravagant hats, got together to watch a horse race, and proceeded to get inebriated on mint juleps. Since the second leg of the Triple Crown is tomorrow, it's a good reason to throw another get-together in case you didn't get enough horse racing the first time around. But you can't just make those mint juleps again; those are a Kentucky tradition, and the Preakness is in Maryland. What to do?
It turns out, the Preakness has its own official cocktail: the Black-Eyed Susan. While it doesn't have the storied history of the mint julep, it's still worth your attention this weekend.
The Black-Eyed Susan got its start in 1973, created as a proprietary blend by alcohol giant Heublein. Preakness home Pimlico wanted to make it themselves, but Heublein wouldn't give them the recipe. So, Pimlico came up with a recipe of its own. It's changed several times over the years. Most recently, corporate sponsorship reared its ugly head and turned it into little more than a vodka/whisky stone sour. I like the original drink more. It's a tall drink but hides its almost three ounces of alcohol ingeniously well. Make a big batch, stick it in the fridge, and you'll be all set for this weekend's race.
Black-Eyed Susan (Original Version) If you don't have the Mount Gay Eclipse rum, substitute another gold rum. 1 oz vodka 1 oz Mount Gay Eclipse rum ¾ oz Cointreau (or other triple sec) 1 ½ oz fresh-squeezed orange juice 1 ½ oz unsweetened pineapple juice
Build over ice in a tall glass, and stir gently to combine. Squeeze a lime wedge into the drink, and drop it in. Garnish with a pineapple tidbit, orange slice, and maraschino cherry.
That was Last Call, in which JK Grence, bartender at Shady's, serves up booze advice. Have a question for JK? Leave it in the comments below.
